On Crimson Wings
by Amethyst M
Summary: Sam winds up in the hospital after a debilitating migraine. Meanwhile, the Leviathans want revenge. Story #6 in my AU series. Season 7 spoilers, although this is an AU.
1. Chapter 1

**On Crimson Wings**

**Chapter One**

After Sam and Dean returned to South Dakota with Zeus's thunderbolt, they were eating in a local diner when Dean noticed Sam staring off into the corner. Sam was not touching his salad, though Dean had finished his burger and fries.

"Sam, you ok?" Dean asked.

"Huh? Yeah, fine."

Just ignore the image of Lucifer taunting him, and telling him that he was still in Hell, Sam thought. Lucifer was not one o give up easily, and neither was fake Lucifer.

"You're in Hell, Sam. You know why? Because deep down, you like being part demon, and that's where you belong. Not Earth, and certainly not Heaven. You are demon spawn, Sammy boy, just like me. You know why you had to be my vessel, don't you? Because you are just like me."

"No," Sam muttered under his breath and turned away.

"Oh, I know you like it, Sam. You like the power your demon blood gives you. It makes you special, just like you always wanted to be." Fake Lucifer laughed. "You sure are special, Sam. One special Grade-A Freak. You are so much of a freak that you can't even walk around without a disguise."

Sam very deliberately took a bite of his salad and began to chew. Some of the dressing dripped onto his fake mustache. He ignored it.

Dean gave him a worried look. "Uh huh. You have barely eaten anything for the past hour. What's going on with you, Sam?"

"Nothing, other the usual crap."

Suddenly, a man barged into the diner waving a revolver. "Everybody down, on the ground! Now!"

Sam and Dean complied.

"Do something," Dean whispered.

"Like what?" Sam asked.

"I don't know, use the Force! Something," Dean replied.

The man waved the gun at them. "Hey, you two shut up. Everyone, empty your wallets now. I just want your cash."

"What's the matter?" Lucifer taunted. "Afraid everyone will know you're a freak, Sam?"

"Shut up, Lucy," Sam whispered.

Dean looked at him, but said nothing.

"Hey, you two. Wallets," said the robber.

"No," Sam growled. He pushed with his mind and the robber went flying into the walll. The gun clattered to the floor.

Lucifer laughed and vanished as everyone stared at Sam in amazement.

"That works for me," Dean said. He took $20 out of his pocket and left it on the table. "Come on, let's get out of here."

The Winchester brothers made a run for it. Luckily, the Impala, currently painted beige, had been parked fairly close. Dean could hear sirens approaching. Someone had called 911. However, just as they got to the car, an excruciating migraine hit Sam.

"Not now," he groaned, clutching his forehead.

Dean opened the car doors. "Get in. I'll drive."

Sam got in. "This is going to be a bad one, I can tell."

"Okay. We'll go to Jody's place," Dean said.

"Not enough time."

Blood was trickling down Sam's nose. He closed his eyes, and all he could see was Lucifer. There was also a very sharp pain in Sam's back. He ignored it because it was minor compared to the migraine. The traffic lights across the street were flickering, as well as neon signs on buildings around them.

Dean looked around. This was not good, not good at all. Sam couldn't control his abilities when he was like this. He wished he could do something to help his brother. At this point, though, there wasn't really anything he could do short of driving Sam to the hospital. If it came to that, of course, he would, even if it meant getting them both arrested.

Sam gasped as laser-sharp pain cut through his head. "Gah…" There was a bright flash of light that seemed to originate from him as it enveloped everything, and then darkness overwhelmed him.

Something was incessantly beeping.

That was Sam's first sensation as he came around. And…was that feathers beneath him?

As he moved his hands, metal clinked on metal. Sam slowly opened his eyes. He was in a hospital room, handcuffed to a bed. Beside his bed there was a very worried-looking Dean, and a blonde nurse in her 40's.

"Uh…where am I?" Sam asked. His voice cracked, it had been a while since he'd had anything to drink.

"Hospital," Dean said. "Sioux Falls."

"How long was I out?"

"It's been two weeks," Dean answered.

Sam's eyes widened. "Two weeks? What happened?"

"You lost consciousness. I had no choice but to take you here. And as soon as I did, someone recognized us and called the FBI, so we're under strict guard. They told me to tell you not to try anything, even though they know they don't stand half a chance against us with your powers. Still, FBI guys shooting at us would be a bad thing."

Sam sighed. "Sorry."

"Not your fault." Dean paused. "There's, uh, something else you should know."

The nurse and Dean exchanged glances.

"What?"

"Look down."

Sam looked down and was not entirely surprised to learn that he now had wings. In fact, the most shocking thing was not that he had wings, but that they were _red_. Dark red.

Dean chuckled. "They're you."

Sam looked very annoyed. Please oh please let me be able to hide them, he thought. As soon as he thought it, the wings vanished. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank Chuck for small favors," Sam said.

Dean nodded. "There's something else. When you lost consciousness, there was this bright light," Dean said. "Everyone within a five-mile radius was healed of absolutely anything and everything. It's all over the news. They're calling it the Miracle in South Dakota."

"And yet, for some reason, I'm still handcuffed to this bed," Sam replied. "Go figure." He raised an eyebrow. "Why aren't you handcuffed?"

"Because it's been two weeks, and I managed to convince the FBI that it wasn't us killing all of those people on TV. They still want to talk to you, though. I keep trying to convince them that you're not a national security threat or an extraterrestrial. The FBI doesn't seem to want to believe me."

"Great. Hey, can I get something to eat?"

"Yes," the nurse said. She held up her iPad. "I've already contacted the cafeteria. They're sending someone up now."

"Great," Sam said. He glanced across the room. A water bottle was sitting on the desk. "Uh, do you mind? I'm kind of thirsty, and IV juice just doesn't cut it."

"I got one for you," Dean said. "There were signs you might wake up today." He held up a water bottle, opened it, and handed it to Sam.

"Thanks." The ice cold water tasted spectacular.

There was a knock on the door. "Open up, FBI."

The nurse opened the door. "I have other patients to attend to, but the doctor will want to see you today," she said, and left.

The man standing in the doorway was at least as tall as Sam. He was well-built, and reminded Dean of his time spent in the 1930's. The FBI agent looked very similar to Eliot Ness. Dean wondered if he was a descendant.

"My name is Agent Smith," he said. He looked over at Sam. "Nice to see you finally awake."

Sam nodded.

Agent Smith shut the door and sat down. "As I'm sure you're aware, you are a very high profile case. We have this place under rotating guard. Word has it those things you fought on Air Force One might try and attack here."

"The Leviathans? But they're at the bottom of New York Harbor."

"Not anymore," Agent Smith replied. "We've scoured the wreckage, and there's no sign of any sort of DNA, other than the fish."

"Smashing them into tiny pieces should at least have delayed their regeneration by a few decades."

"Yeah," Dean said.

"Again, I don't know what happened. But they're not at the bottom of the harbor anymore," Agent Smith answered. "And we're concerned they may come here, after you."

Sam nodded. "Why exactly are you concerned about us?"

"You're the only one with the ability to even slow those things down. We're concerned they have infected members of Congress. They may even have infected staffers at the White House."

"Well, they got Roman," Dean replied.

"What are they, exactly?" Agent Smith asked.

"They're ancient. They're older than angels and demons, even older than God. He couldn't destroy them, so he contained them in Purgatory," Sam answered.

The agent didn't look stunned, but he didn't look entirely happy, either. "I'm still trying to wrap my brain around angels and demons being real. So, these Leviathans can be trapped?"

"Yeah, but we don't know how," Dean replied. "My guess is, the angels do. Someone up there has to."

"Chuck," Sam said.

"Who's Chuck?" the agent asked.

"Uh…" Dean took a deep breath. "I think that's for us to know, and him to reveal if he wants to."

There was a flash of light, and Chuck was there. He was holding a box-shaped object with an old blue towel over it. A tabby cat was sleeping on top, and it opened one eye and looked very annoyed.

"Shoo," Chuck said. "Go find some mice."

The cat meowed and jumped down.

"Jesus!" The agent exclaimed. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"No, actually, my name is Chuck," he said. "Don't take it in vain."

Sam and Dean exchanged glances. "Why are you here?" Dean asked.

"You need help dealing with the Leviathans. The agent is right, they're coming here."

"But how…?" Sam asked.

"Ah. That, well, uh…I brought something that should help. Luckily, you two have the proper DNA to use it. Well, Dean does, anyway."

"Not me?" Sam inquired.

"Your DNA has changed to the point where the Ark will no longer recognize you as being a descendant of Cain. You have to realize, you're only about 1/3 human now. I sped up your mutation; you're going to need your abilities to deal with the Leviathans," Chuck explained.

Sam sighed. "Great. I thought I had five years."

"It's not like you can't hide the wings. You can still hang out on Earth if you want. But, I really will need your help after this."

Sam nodded. "I want a raise, a vacation, and a pension plan. And something for Dean, too."

"I'd be happy with a mansion and a Lamborghini," Dean said. "Oh, and a backyard pool. And some hot girls."

Chuck laughed. "It's good to see you still have a sense of humor."

"Yeah. About defeating the Leviathans?" Sam asked.

"Oh, right." Chuck took the old towel off the box, revealing an exquisitely-carved golden box.

Sam's eyes widened. "Is that what I think it is?"

Chuck nodded slowly. "It is the Ark. However, since we need Dean's blood to activate it, it will have to stay here. I will keep an eye on you, but I cannot be here because there are more pressing matters to attend to."

"More pressing than the Leviathans?" Dean asked.

"Yes, actually. There are a number of weapons still missing because of the civil war, and we're in the process of hunting them down."

"Wait," Agent Smith said. "These weapons, are they on Earth?"

"Yes," Chuck said gravely. "We are afraid that some of them may fall into the wrong hands."

"You don't know where they are?" Agent Smith looked astonished.

Chuck raised an eyebrow. "Some of them have elaborate magic on them to elude detection. In any case, if they fall into the wrong hands, it could be catastrophic for humans. You know what you people call thermonuclear war?"

Agent Smith nodded. "Yes."

"This would be thousands of times worse in terms of damage. All life on Earth could wind up devastated. That's why we need to find the weapons," Chuck said.

"But, even if they are on Earth, would anyone know how to use them? Would anyone be able to use them?" the agent asked.

"Humans are a very inventive species. Yes, I think it's possible. There are certain legends around these weapons, and although we ensured that they were not 100% accurate, there are some truths to the legends. It would take a very creative and devious mind to figure them out, but humans are known for being particularly creative and devious," Chuck said.

"Uh huh," the agent replied.

Chuck took a breath. It was a very deep breath. He looked at the agent pointedly. "I did put that in for a reason, you know."

Agent Smith gaped at him. "But…why can't you just…"

"I did not create the Leviathans, John. They existed before me. I cannot unmake that which I did not make. There are rules, even for me."

"Great," Sam said. "So we have the Ark. We should probably hide it under that towel again. Uh…can I get these handcuffs off?"

Chuck waved a hand and the cuffs fell off. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Dean and Sam exchanged worried glances.

"Relax, I'm joking. Well, sort of." Chuck put the Ark on the desk. "I don't suppose I have to say, be careful with this."

"How do we activate it?" Dean asked.

There was a particular indentation on top. "See here? Press your finger in. You will feel a prick. Soon after, the Ark will be activated. Only use it in time of great need. Zeus's thunderbolt will damage the Leviathans, but the Ark will strip their souls from them and send them back to Purgatory. I must caution you against using it on anything other than the Leviathans."

"Thanks," Dean said.

"Don't mention it," Chuck replied. "Really, don't." He waved a hand around. "The people outside of this room cannot know anything about this."

"Right," Dean said.

"Good luck," Chuck said. "I'll be back for the Ark."

There was a meowing sound from the corner.

"Sanura, be good," Chuck replied.

The cat meowed again.

There was a flash of light and Chuck vanished.

Agent Smith blinked. "Was that really…?"

"Yes," Dean said.

"Wow," the agent said.

"Yeah," Sam said.

"I still need to question you about the bank robbery," the agent said.

"You don't need to question us about the bank robbery," Sam replied, trying to sound convincing.

The agent laughed. "Nice try."

"Dang. I was hoping to get Jedi mind tricks," Sam said.

Dean laughed. "That would have been a cool upgrade. We need to get you a cape."

"No," Sam said.

"Yes," Dean said. "With a W, for Winchester."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Over my dead body."

"You know, I've met Death," Dean said.

"Uh huh. Now you're going to tell me Santa Claus exists, also?" the agent said.

"He does. But he's not what you think," Dean said. "And Death is a good guy. He's just misunderstood."

"I'm going to get something to eat," said the agent. "You two, stay put."

As the agent left, a nurse arrived with Sam's food. It was jello, chicken soup, and orange juice. "Hello? Mr. Winchester? I have your food." She did not notice the cat scurrying out of the room behind her.

"Great, thanks."

She put it on a small table next to the bed. "I'm glad you're awake. We've been pulling for you."

Sam managed to smile. "Thanks."

"You're giving a lot of people hope. Keep it up." She patted him on the shoulder. "Don't fly out of here just yet, the doctor wants to talk to you."

He nodded.

Her eyes went to the Ark, hidden under a blue towel. "What's that?"

"Oh that?" Sam said. "It was just a gift someone left us. We'll take care of it."

The nurse nodded and left.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

The doctor was a tall older man with glasses, grayish-brown hair, and brown eyes. He reminded Sam of one of his college professors. He wore a white lab coat, a red bow tie, black pants, shiny black shoes, and carried a notepad. He grabbed a chair and sat down. Dean looked at him from across the room.

"So, the infamous Sam Winchester is finally awake. My name is Dr. Mendelssohn. Your brother tells me you've been having migraines?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, having super powers isn't exactly all it's cracked up to be. There are side effects."

The doctor made a note on his notepad. "I can get you something for the headaches. We may have to experiment a bit with the dosage, since your physiology is different." He looked up. "You were in a coma for two weeks. I am concerned about that, but you seem to be recovering fairly well. I want you to stay here at least for two more days."

Sam nodded. "Okay."

"Now, is there anything else you'd like to talk about?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Sam saw Lucifer standing over by Dean, making rabbit ears behind Dean's head. Dean appeared completely oblivious, which he was since he couldn't see Lucifer. Sam closed his eyes.

"What is it?" the doctor asked?

"This is going to sound completely insane."

The doctor folded his arms. "Coming from a man who can fly? Try me."

"I was in Hell."

The doctor's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. It exists. I was there for about a year Earth-time."

"We were both in Hell, but not at the same time," Dean said. "Sam was there longer. He has a few issues."

"I can only imagine," said the doctor, looking flabbergasted. "So what kind of issues do you have? Are we talking about PTSD?"

"I see_ him_ everywhere," whispered Sam. "I know he's not really there, but…"

The doctor looked very concerned. "We can try some anti-hallucinatory drugs. I don't know if they'll work for you, but we can certainly give them a try." He wrote down some more notes. "I would like to run a CAT scan. I would like to rule out your migraines being a symptom of something worse. Migraines and hallucinations can be symptoms of more severe head trauma. Do you remember everything from your…experience?"

"I remember enough," Sam replied.

The doctor shook his head. "It's a wonder that you don't have more severe problems. I'm going to schedule your CAT scan, and then get you some prescriptions. There's a pharmacy downstairs." The doctor paused. "Do you have insurance?"

"Not exactly," Dean said. "But we'll manage."

The Winchester brothers exchanged glances.

"Okay," the doctor said. He wrote down the prescriptions and handed them to Dean. "Take these downstairs. Tell them I gave them to you. They'll know what to do."

"Thanks," Dean replied.

Agent Smith entered the room as the doctor left. "What now?"

"Prescription," Dean said. "I need to go downstairs to the pharmacy."

Agent Smith nodded. "You know the drill. I'll have to escort you."

Dean sighed. "Fine."

"Hey, can I get a newspaper or something?" Sam asked. "I mean, it has been two weeks…"

"We're probably the top headline," Dean said. "But yeah, sure, I'll get a paper."

Sam glanced at Lucifer in the corner as Dean and Agent Smith left the hospital room.

"Oh, sure, now you look at me," Lucifer said.

"Go away," Sam replied and tried very hard to stare at the ceiling.

"You really want me to go away for good?" Lucifer responded.

"Hell, yes."

"Mmmm hmm. Sorry, no can do."

"Why not?"

"You already made your choice when you let me take control of your body," Lucifer said with a smirk.

"I only did that because I had to."

"Sure, you did." Lucifer leaned closer. "But you wouldn't have said yes if part of you hadn't wanted it. Part of you wants my power."

"No," Sam protested. "All I've ever wanted to be is a normal human being, and I'm not allowed to have that. Even God won't let me have that."

"I can give you that," Lucifer said.

"You're a hallucination," Sam replied. "You're not real."

"Try and convince yourself all you want. Part of you knows I'm real, and that's all that matters." Lucifer grinned evilly.

Sam sighed. "How can you make me normal?"

"It's all in the power of your mind, Sammy boy. You see, your mind isn't exactly…normal." Lucifer chuckled. "It's very powerful, indeed. If you really wanted to be normal, you would be."

"How?" Sam replied.

"Just say the word, and I will…" Lucifer snapped his fingers and spoke in a fake British accent, "make it so."

Sam was tempted by Lucifer's offer. He was very tempted, indeed. But there were the Leviathans to deal with. And even if did say yes, he knew that Heaven wouldn't let him be normal for long.

His child-self materialized in the room next to Lucifer. "This is what we've always wanted. We just wanted to be normal."

Adult Sam blinked. "Sammy…"

"We wanted to go to college and be a lawyer. We wanted to get married and have kids. This guy…" he pointed to Lucifer, "may be a total creep, and a jerk, and an a-hole, but he can do it. He can make us normal."

Adult Sam shook his head. "Don't believe him. There's always a price to pay for what he gives you. Always. Nothing Lucifer gives you is ever free."

"But…"

"He's Lucifer, Sammy. He doesn't do things for no reason, real or not." Adult Sam took a deep breath. "I accept my fate. It's time you did, too. We aren't meant to be normal. We never were."

The boy Sam looked disappointed. "I had such high hopes for us."

"I know," Adult Sam whispered. A tear streamed down his cheek. "I know."

The boy Sam faded into nothingness. Lucifer crossed his arms and looked at the spot where the boy had been standing. "Such high hopes, Sammy," Lucifer said. "I had them, too. Now you're just a shill for Heaven."

"Screw you," Sam said, and flipped him the bird.

Lucifer stuck his tongue out and began singing "Stairway to Heaven." Sam rolled his eyes.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Dean and Agent Smith got off the elevator at the lobby. All of the people were milling about quietly. Doctors heading to their next appointment, patients, nurses, and visitors were walking around. It was, however, a tad strange that none of them were conversing with each other. People just walked by each other, not saying a word.

Dean blinked. "Something's not right here."

Agent Smith looked at him. "Too quiet?"

"You got it," Dean replied. "Yeah, this is a hospital, but it's also a reception area."

Agent Smith patted his pocket where his gun was. "Let's see what happens if we go and get your prescription."

Dean nodded. "All right."

The two of them headed towards the pharmacy, only to be stopped by a big, bulky security guard. "Excuse me, but can I see your ID?" the security guard asked.

Agent Smith took his out. "John Smith, FBI."

Dean took his out as well. "Agent Connors, FBI."

Agent Smith didn't bat an eye, even though what Dean had just done was clearly illegal. "Please step aside, Sir."

"Sorry, but I can't do that." The security guard grinned, revealing a full head of very pointy teeth.

"Leviathan," Dean said.

Agent Smith pulled out his gun and fired.

"That won't kill him," Dean warned. He whipped out his cell phone and hit the speed dial. "Sam? Sam it's me, we've got Leviathans downstairs. Get your butt down here; I don't care if it's against doctor's orders."

He hung up. "Sam's on his way."

The people around them had stopped milling about. As if on cue, all of them opened their mouths, revealing matching sets of numerous pointy teeth. Dean and Agent Smith were completely surrounded by Leviathans.

"Good," said Agent Smith. "We could really use his help."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Sam jumped out of bed and grabbed the Ark with the blue towel over it. Barefoot, he ran down the hallway to the elevator with the Ark in his arms. The hallways were far too empty for a hospital of this size. As he pressed the down button, he heard a faint meowing at his feet. He glanced down. It was Chuck's cat.

"No kitty, I don't think this is the place for you."

The cat meowed again, in protest.

"Kitty, unless you have a serious ace up your…uh, paw, I think you should stay out of the way."

In response, the ordinary-looking tabby cat transformed into a lion, and sat on its haunches, staring at Sam, who shook his head in disbelief. Lucifer was gaping at the lion and shrinking back away from it.

"Are you Aslan?" Sam wondered aloud.

The lion growled.

"Okay, not Aslan."

The lion's head bobbed up and down as the elevator arrived with an audible ding.

"I think you'd better turn back. I don't see us both fitting in there," Sam said.

The lion shrank back to tabby cat size as the elevator door opened, and gazed up at him with innocent green cat eyes.

"In," Sam said.

The cat bounded into the elevator and sat in the corner, licking its paws and looking all the world like a normal cat. Sam stepped inside and pressed the down button.

"All right, fur ball. Time to kick some Leviathan butt," he said as the elevator door shut.

Rather ironically, the elevator music was a Muzak version of Bob Dylan's Knockin' on Heaven's Door.

In the corner, Lucifer rolled his eyes. The cat hissed at him.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Dean and Agent Smith were still surrounded by Leviathans.

"We need to do some serious ass-kicking," Dean said.

"No kidding," Agent Smith replied. "You're the expert. What do we do?"

Dean took the knife he'd been hiding in a secret jacket pocket. He grinned as it turned into a sword shaped very much like a lightning bolt. It was made from alien bluish metal. Electric blue and white sparks danced across the jagged blade.

"We kick ass," he replied.

Agent Smith nodded. From his jacket, he took out a neon green squirt gun.

Dean stared at it. "Please tell me there's cleaning solution in that."

"You did warn me earlier."

"Great. Try not to get yourself killed."

Dean swung at the Leviathan who had been a security guard with Zeus' thunderbolt. The sword crackled and sizzled as it sliced through the flesh. The Leviathan started laughing.

"Ha! That tickles…." He was cut off when the electricity danced across his entire body, and vaporized him from the inside out. Only dust remained on the floor.

Dean blinked. "I thought this wasn't supposed to kill them."

"Maybe he'll regenerate in a few thousand years?" Agent Smith asked.

"Hopefully not."

_Ding._ The elevator arrived, playing Meatloaf's _Bat Out of Hell_. And this wasn't the Muzak version.

When the tabby cat leapt out of the elevator, the Leviathans laughed.

"If you were trying to make us die from laughing, Winchester, you're failing miserably," said a skinny blonde girl who had been the receptionist, but who now had Leviathan teeth.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Dean!"

"I'm here, Sammy. What the hell is that cat doing here?"

The cat looked at the skinny blonde girl and transformed into the lion. It roared in her face, and then took a swipe with claws. She looked down. "I liked that shirt." The Leviathan leapt out of the skinny blonde girl's former body and hovered. It was a shimmering serpent-like being with wings and lots of sharp teeth.

Sam darted past the Leviathans, who were gawking at the lion and body-less Leviathan, and shoved the Ark into Dean's arms.

"Here! Use it."

Dean handed Zeus' thunderbolt to Sam. "Hold this."

The Leviathans advanced on them slowly as Dean whipped off the blue towel and it fluttered to the ground.

The lion and the winged serpent were at it, clawing and hissing at each other. Some of the other Leviathans joined in, leaving the bodies they had inhabited, but which were now dead.

"Holy crap," Agent Smith muttered. He managed to piss a few off by shooting them with the squirt gun. One Leviathan came for him, still in its human body. The body had belonged to an orderly named Steve. He was rather well-built, and aimed a punch at Agent Smith.

Dean pressed his finger into the indentation of the Ark's top lid.

"This had better work," he said.

Sam swung at a few Leviathans with the thunderbolt, and when one nearly swiped him with claws, he realized he could do better.

"Hey, I've been wanting to say this," Sam said, grinning.

"What?" Dean asked as the Ark began to glow with white light.

"Flame on!"

In fire form, Sam's wings were clearly visible, and they were also fiery. He kept a tight grasp on the thunderbolt, swinging at the Leviathans who dared to come close. He reduced two of them to dust.

The Ark was glowing brighter now. Dean aimed it at the mass of Leviathans on the other side of the room.

Agent Smith sprayed the Leviathan formerly known as Steve right in the eyes, and his face melted. The Leviathan screamed as Agent Smith punched him. The Leviathan crumpled to the ground, still screaming from pain. Agent Smith sprayed him again for good measure. He then took out a second canister of cleaning solution and reloaded the squirt gun.

Meanwhile, on the far side of the room, the ray of white light from the Ark had opened up a portal. It was green and purple. Shadows swirled within it. Every Leviathan which came in contact with the white light was hurled into the portal, and most of them were screaming.

The lion, having finally shredded its Leviathan prey, turned its attention to another one a few feet away. Dean aimed the light at the Leviathan shreds. He saw a shadowy serpent-like figure get pulled out of the remains and hurled towards the portal as well.

In Sam's head, Lucifer was yelling as Sam kept reducing Leviathans to ashes with the thunderbolt.

"You think you're so great now? Guess what? As soon as people see you, they'll freak out. Everybody knows what you can do now, Sam. They're going to be as much afraid of you as they are of me!"

"Shut up," Sam growled.

"You know I'm right," Lucifer pressed.

Sadly, Sam realized that his hallucination probably was right. But it didn't matter now. He and Dean were going to save the planet yet again, and be treated like outcasts yet again. Sam punched one of the Leviathans with a flaming fist out of sheer anger. The Leviathan looked down and saw a gaping hole in its chest.

"I guess this is what you call a holey fight," Lucifer said. "Get it? Holey." He laughed.

Sam used his telekinesis to hurl the Leviathan into the path of the white light. "I said, shut up."

"You're going Vader now, Sammy boy," Lucifer taunted him. He snapped his fingers and Vader's helmet appeared on his head, and he breathed into it.

"Shut up."

"You said shut up to me," Lucifer said, still wearing the helmet. "I'm touched."

Sam made a move to punch Lucifer, even though he knew that Lucifer was only a hallucination.

"Sam, look out," Dean hollered.

Sam stopped in his tracks. He was only a couple of steps away from Agent Smith, completely focused on reloading the squirt gun with cleaning fluid. If he'd thrown that punch, he might have hit the FBI agent.

Agent Smith turned around, to see a fiery Sam scrambling back with haste. Through the flames, he saw a terrified look on Sam's face.

"What?"

"I…Lucifer…damn it!" Sam turned back into his normal form, though with wings visible.

"You never got the anti-hallucinogen pills," Agent Smith said as he realized how close a call he had just had. "Crap."

"Under the circumstances, I don't think anyone will mind if we take some and leave cash behind."

"Right," Agent Smith said. "It's not like that's breaking and entering or anything," he said sarcastically. "But then, I'm going to have to ignore Dean using fake ID. After all, it was on a Leviathan. You guys will need to get rid of all of your fake IDs after this, you know."

Sam sighed. "I don't think it'll matter. We're too famous now."

"Good point," Agent Smith replied. "You'll need to get some real IDs."

Sam chuckled. "I don't even know where my real ID is anymore."

Agent Smith shook his head, and then saw a body-less Leviathan advancing on Sam, trying to take advantage of him not being on fire now. "Behind you!"

Sam ducked. With a roar, the lion's claws ripped the winged serpent to shreds. The lion sat down on its haunches, licking its paws.

"I think that's the last one," Dean said.

"No Dick Roman?" Agent Smith asked.

"I guess not," Dean said.

"Bummer," Agent Smith replied.

"Trust me; you don't want to meet him."

"Oh, I already have," Agent Smith said. "I just didn't know he was one of them at the time."

Dean nodded.

The lion turned back into a normal-looking tabby cat, walked over to Sam, and purred.

"You're serious?" Sam asked.

The cat looked up at him.

"Okay, fine." Sam put the thunderbolt down and picked up the cat. The cat hissed at Lucifer.

"Wait," Dean said. "The cat can see your hallucination?"

Sam nodded.

Dean and Agent Smith exchanged glances.

"Are we entirely sure it's just a hallucination?" Agent Smith asked. "I mean, your brother did have the real Lucifer inside of him temporarily."

"I'm 95 percent sure it's just a hallucination," Dean replied. He glanced at the cat. "Okay, maybe 94 and a half at this point."

The cat hissed again. Lucifer backed away.

"Lucifer really doesn't like this cat," Sam said.

"Well, he has been hanging around Chuck for a while now," Dean said. "Who really knows how long? And he's not a normal cat. So maybe…some of Chuck's mojo rubbed off on him?"

Sam shrugged.

"Mojo?" Agent Smith repeated. "That's the understatement of the year."

"True," Dean said. "But who knows what those rules are, exactly? Hey, step back."

Everyone stepped back. Dean aimed the remaining Ark light at the Leviathan's remains, and the portal closed as its shadowy serpent form was sucked in. The light vanished from the Ark.

"Wow," Agent Smith said.

"Yeah. Uh…can we get my medicine, please?" Sam asked. "I really can't take very much more of him." He gestured towards Lucifer, who was hissing back at the cat.

There was a flash of light as Chuck appeared in the room. "Hey, guys. I need my Ark back. Was kitty good?"

"Oh, yeah," Dean replied as he handed the Ark back to Chuck. "Very good."

The cat in Sam's arms purred.

"Good. Now uh…I'm forgetting something, aren't I?" Chuck glanced around. "Right, Sam." He snapped his fingers and Lucifer disappeared. "There, now he won't be bothering you anymore."

Sam gaped. "Really?"

"Yeah."

Sam handed Chuck the cat, who curled up into a ball on top of the Ark. "Thanks. Do I still have five years?"

"What?"

"Five years left on Earth. That's what Cas said."

Chuck blinked. "You can stay on Earth if you want to. I think what he meant was, your transformation wouldn't be complete. I've sped it up by quite a bit because I'm going to need you to do a few things, but you can stay here if you want. People will know the truth about you, which will make it harder to stay here. Are you okay with that?"

Sam looked at Dean, and then back at Chuck. "Yeah, I'm okay with it."

Chuck snapped his fingers and the thunderbolt appeared in his hand. "I owe Zeus one from our last poker game. Maybe he'll accept this." He looked at Sam and Dean. "Try to stay out of trouble, okay?"

Chuck was about to vanish into thin air, when a red-haired nurse came down the elevator and gaped at the sight of the almost completely empty lobby.

"Oh, no," Chuck said. "Not again."

"What?" Dean asked.

"It's complicated. She keeps getting reincarnated. We run into each other at least once a century. She doesn't remember me and I keep trying to avoid reminding her. I really have to get going before…"

Sam and Dean exchanged glances. The cat meowed.

"Can I help you?" The red-haired nurse asked. Her name tag read M. Jones.

"Nope, I was just leaving," Chuck said. "See you later, alligator." He vanished into thin air, leaving the gaping people behind.

"Okay," Sam said. "That was a little weird." He looked at the nurse. "Your name wouldn't happen to be Mary, would it?"

"No, actually it's Maria. I'm adopted. Why do you ask?"

"Uh…no reason," he said.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" The nurse asked, pointing out Sam's bare feet and white hospital garb, which stood out starkly in contrast with his red wings.

His cheeks nearly matched the color of the feathers. "I uh, I'm checking out."

"Not wearing that, you're not. Back to bed, superhero."

The wings vanished. "Do I have a choice?"

Maria crossed her arms. "No."

"Better do as she says," Dean said with a grin. "You can check out tomorrow, fly boy."

Sam sighed. "All right."

The elevator door opened, playing the Muzak version of Wonderful World. Sam rolled his eyes as he got in and the door closed.

Meanwhile, in a house in a small town called Kripke's Hollow, a tabby cat lay curled up in front of a fireplace as keys click-clacked on a keyboard on the other side of the room. A box sat on a desk nearby, looking fairly ordinary. It was covered by a dark blue towel.

The End


End file.
